Unexplained weight gain

stephnrh1

I know this is not quite a topic people like to talk about so sorry, but I'm wondering if anyone else has had this problem. I have lost 15 lb so far. I've been eating healthy but ever since I went on vacation I have not had a bowel movement and it's going on two weeks now. I am still staying within my calorie range and not doing anything different than I was while I was losing but I have gained 4 lb in a matter of a couple days. Can not having a bowel movement for a couple weeks cause an increase in weight? When I Google it I get mixed responses, half say no it's no effect on your weight at all and the other half say yes it will affect your weight. Any insight from anyone? Thanks.

kshama2001

Forget about the consequences on the scale, not having a bowel movement for weeks can be dangerous. Call your doctor's office first thing in the morning.

https://health.clevelandclinic.org/how-to-know-when-constipation-is-an-emergency/

tomcustombuilder

Lol, a couple of weeks? That happened to me once after being in an accident. Try stool softeners for now. You probably changed up your diet and your body is rebelling.

herringboxes

Yes. Your weight will be fine, I seriously doubt you’ve gained 4 pounds of fat. Likely 4 pounds of water and stool.

Taking care of the constipation is urgent, don’t wait any longer. Milk of magnesia, prune juice, whatever works for you, do it fast and keep doing it until you solve your problem.

Make sure you are extra hydrated right now as well.

Your weight will sort when you get home, no worries there.

sollyn23l2

@kshama2001 is right. Not having a bowel movement in that long means it's time to check with your doctor.

stephnrh1

Unfortunately that is quite normal for me I usually only have a bowel movement once a week and then sometimes goes into two or three weeks then I have to take a whole bunch of stool softeners and laxatives and I have diarrhea for two or three days and then I am filled with gas for about a week or so but this is the first time I've experienced it well on my weight loss journey and I about cried when I got on the scale and said my weight went up four pounds! It did finally sort itself out and I am back down my 4 lb plus two more. My grandfather died of colon cancer so it probably would be a good time to be checked out now that I'm in my 40s. Thank you all for your input

chris_in_cal

Yes, it is a difficult topic here.

Here is my anecdote, during a year long stretch where I was carefully logging my 2000 calories into MFP everyday, including fiber and lots of hydration, my rate of bowels slowed and at it's slowest it was once per five days or so.

This was different from what I was used to and it concerned me so I spoke with my doctor. I spoke with a nutritionist, I consulted Dr Google, and Dr. "MFP Smarty Pants" people.

It was normal. That's who I am and what my body did.

Now that I am back on the SAD diet and have regained a bunch of weight back, I am right as rain daily, and regular.

I encourage you to not guess. Track accurately. Is it 5 days, or 15 days between? Be precise.

Yes it can be a medical problem. But even more troubling for me, it was normal.

If it is normal for you, and not a medical problem, it's a mistake to take extra drugs or supplements to change it. It is normal.

springlering62

You’ve been doing this for about five or six weeks now. Good job for sticking with it!

It’s very common for people to experience large losses at first, have the woohoo! celebration and then freak out when their weight bounces up. That is sooooooooo normal.

You mentioned vacation.

Do you by any chance have a flight recently? My weight jumped up about eight pounds on a coast-to-coast flight last month. Believe it or not, cabin pressure can do a number on you with water retention and it can take a week or more to pass off.

Even long drives can cause water retention.

Did you eat any thing different or unusual in your trip? Salty snacks? Chips? Adult drinks with salty rims?

You seem to have started off enthusiastically (don’t we all?!) did you by chance add a new exercise regimen? Are your muscles sore? Feeling stiff legged? Your body retains water -a lot of water- to heal sore muscles, injuries, even following surgery.

Are you on your cycle? Hello, bloating.

And yes, constipation can cause “gain”. If it ain’t going anywhere, where else is it except hanging around, heavily, in your bowels.

Don’t let a blip upset you or throw you off. You should know to expect your weight loss graph to look like a sawtooth mountain range. If you go into this thinking “my weight is gonna go down down down like a rock” you’ll be destined for frustration. Knowing in advance it’s going to rocket around can help take some of the heat off.

Hugs and much success to you!